For Almost a decade now South Carolina has been on the fence on legalizing medical marijuana. Each year the issue gets pushed to the next year and no real progress is made. We hope to end that cycle this year by legalizing medical marijuana with the proposed Compassionate Cares Act. This bill will create a well regulated medical cannabis program to allow ill individuals to use and safely access medical marijuana. There are many South Carolinians suffering from a variety of different ailments (covered in the bill) that can help be relieved with medical marijuana. These ailments include but are not limited to Cancer, Sickle Cell disease, Leukemia, epilepsy, chronic pain, persistent nausea, Chron’s disease, glaucoma, autism, PTSD, wasting syndrome, cachexia and etc.  Although the vast majority of South Carolinians support the bill and are in favor of the decriminalization and legalization of the herb many republican law makers in the senate oppose it. It is our goal to sway the minds of these law makers with this petition. Medical Marijuana has proven time and time again to be an effective healing plant the scientific evidence of the healing properties of this plant is evident. There are now only 14 states in which medical marijuana is illegal. It is way past due for South Carolina to get with the times and help end needles suffering for thousands of individuals. If South Carolina law makers truly cared about the people they will listen and give the people what they want and NEED.